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Church Renewal
Rays of Hope
by Francis MacNutt (from the July/Aug 2006 issue)
CHM's invitation by the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services office in Rome (ICCRS), to conduct a leaders conference, offers encouragement at a time when some would say Catholic renewal has reached a plateau in this country.
It is encouraging to see that the Catholic renewal has maintained its vigor in India (where Francis’ team directed conferences in 1977). In India, there now are more than 100 retreat centers. The need for healing and deliverance has been drawing thousands of people to these centers where Jesus is proclaimed as Savior, and where He confirms this proclamation by signs and wonders. For example, the retreat center in Muringoor, in South India, is unique. Weekly residential retreats there offer translation into six languages for as many as 35,000 people! The people flock there, regardless of their religious background. Another such remarkable center is in Varanasi, the heartland of Hinduism in Northern India, where more than 10,000 non-baptized followers of Christ go, every Sunday, to listen to a proclamation of the Lordship of Jesus.
How encouraging it is to hear that, while renewal seems to have hit a plateau in some countries, other places, such as India, are experiencing what we read about in the Book of Acts!
Another encouraging sign was a retreat held in Ars, France (sponsored by ICCRS and directed by Sister Briedge McKenna and Fr. Kevin Scallion) that was attended by 853 priests from 71 different countries!
(Information from the ICCRS newsletter, October - December, 2005)
